H e n r y a b b



(No Model.)

H. ABBOTT. PLATEN FOR TYPE WEITINGMAGHINES.

No. 449,191. Patented Mar 31, 1891.

i t Sta e r-NT PLATEN FOR TYPE-WRITING MACHINE5.

"EPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,191, dated March 31, 1891. Application filed October 5, 1388. Renewed September 2, 1890. Serial No. 363,748. (No model.)

To (l /Tl whom it nm l concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY ABBOTT, of Newark, in the county of Essex, and in the State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Platens for Type- Writing Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the carriage of a type-writer having attached thereto my improved platen. Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-section of the same, and shows the platen when in use. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modified form of platen, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-section of said platen when covered with elastic material.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

In the use of type-writers the paper is usually carried around or across a cylindrical roller which serves as a platen or backing and receives the impact of the type, but as the surface of such platen is curved much difficulty is experienced in securing a clean impression from the type. To obviate this clifficulty, the surface of the roller has been made up of numerous plane faces, each of which corresponds in width to the height of the let ters or characters to be printed, but it has not been practicable to always secure the parallelism of the faces of the type and the platenfaces, and the result "has usually been unsatisfactory.

To obviate the objections named is the design of my invention,which invention con sists in a platen for type-writing machines constructed and operating as hereinafter described and claimed.

My invention is applicable to any of the usual styles of type-writers in which a roller A is journaled within or upon a carriage B, and is adapted to receive a sheet of paper 0 and to move the same into position to receive action from a key-operated type D. Secured at each end to or upon the carriage B is a thin strip of metal E, which has a width somewhat greater than the height of the letter or character upon the type D, and is arranged adjacent to the periphery of the roller A. be neath the paper 0 in such position as to be supported by the latter and to form a bearing for said paper when struck'by a type. Longitudinally the strip or platen is practically rigid, but transversely its flexibility is such that it its face is not parallel with the face of a type it will yield and instantly conform thereto, so that the type will have aperfect bearing upon the paper, and the impression made thereon will be clear and distinct.

For some purposes I prefer to construct the platen E from plain steel orother hard metal, while for other purposes brass or any other soft metal may be desirable, and in some instances the metal may be covered with rubber c, or other flexible compressible material.

If desired, the platen may be made sufficiently heavy to prevent flexibility and have its ends pivoted upon the carriage, by which means its face would readily conform to the face of a type and insure a fair hearing for the latter.

With the rubbercovcred platen described, the feed-roller may be made of metal or other inflexible material, as the blow of the type would be cushioned by the elastic covering of the platen. Such covering may, if desired, be omitted from the face of the platen and only placed between its back and the periphery of the roller, and as the roller no longer acts as a platen it requires such diameter only as will best adapt it for the purpose of feeding the paper.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination, with the main platen of a type-writing machine, of a supplemental platen supported independently of the main platen that is adapted to receive the imme diate impact of the printing-types and adjust the plane of its face to the plane of the face of the type, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with the main platen of a typc-writing machine, of a supplemental platen having a support independent of the main platcn,that has the plane of its face antomatically adjusted to the plane of the face of a type by the impingement of thclatter upon it, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

The combination, with the main platen of a type-writing machine, of a supplemental platen having a support independent of the main platen, which is adapted to be turned transversely :to insure parallelism between it s face and the face of an impinging type, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

4. The combination, with the paper-carrying and impact-receiving roller of a typewriting machine, of a supplemental p'lateu having a plane face to receive the direct impact of the blow from the printing-type, substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

5. The combination, with the paper-carry- ,ing and impact-receiving roller of a typewriting machine, of a supplemental platen consisting of an independently-supported yielding bar having a plane face to receive the direct impact of the blow from the printingst ype, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. As an improvement in type-Writing machines, a platen consisting of a bar composed of flexible material, which automatically adjusts its face to the plane of the face of an impinging type, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

7. As an improvement in type-writing inaehines, a platen consisting of a bar supported at its extremities and constructed so asto automatically adjust its face to the plane of the face of an impinging type, substantially and for the purpose set forth.

S. The combination, with the paper-carrying roller and the carriage of a type-writing machine, of a platen consisting of a bar supported by said carriage and capable of adjusting its impact-receiving face to the face of an impinging type, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. The combination, with the main platen of a type-Writing machine, of a supplemental platen consisting of a bar composed of flexible material, Which is adapted to receive the immediate impact of the printing-type and adjust its face to the plane of the face of an impinging type, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of August, 1888.

HENRY ABBOTT.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. OoMBs, CHARLES F. EGLER, J r. 

